Oil slips despite Egypt crisis

Supporters of Egypt's ousted President Mohammed Morsi chant slogans during a protest in Ramses Square in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Aug. 16, 2013. Heavy gunfire rang out Friday throughout Cairo as tens of thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters clashed with vigilante residents in the fiercest street battles to engulf the capital since the country's Arab Spring uprising. Tens of people were killed in the fighting nationwide, including police officers. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

A supporter of Egypt's ousted President Mohammed Morsi chants slogans against Egyptian Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi before clashes broke out with Egyptian security forces in Ramses Square, downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Aug. 16, 2013. Heavy gunfire rang out Friday throughout Cairo as tens of thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters clashed with security forces and armed vigilantes in the fiercest street battles to engulf the capital since the country's Arab Spring uprising. At least 37 people were killed in the fighting nationwide, including police officers. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

FILE - In this Monday, June 10, 2013, file photo, an oil pump jack works at sunset in the desert oil fields of Sakhir, Bahrain. While the price of U.S. benchmark oil rose 58 cents to $107.43 per barrel in afternoon trading Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013 inflated by turmoil and increasing violence in the Middle East, ample global oil supplies are helping to keep the rise in check. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali, File)

Advertisement

The price of oil slipped below $107 per barrel as the oil market shrugged off continuing violence in Egypt.

U.S. benchmark crude fell 58 cents to $106.75 in afternoon trading, putting it on track to finish the week roughly flat. Brent crude, which is used to price imported crude used by many U.S. refineries, fell 17 cents to $109.43 per barrel for October delivery.

The average retail price of a gallon of gasoline rose less than a penny to $3.54 per gallon. It is down 9 cents per gallon in August and it is 17 cents lower than it was last year.

Turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa has disrupted some production and exports, and raised the specter of spreading violence that could spill important supply routes.

Violence in Egypt continued Friday as tens of thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters fought with armed civilians, police and troops in Cairo. At least 37 people were killed in the fighting nationwide Friday. More than 600 people have been killed since violence erupted Wednesday.

Egypt is not a major oil exporter, but there is concern that an escalation in fighting could spread to neighboring countries or disrupt the Suez Canal, a major trade route.

But rising oil production in the U.S., Canada and elsewhere has helped keep the market well supplied with oil, and global demand is rising only modestly. That has kept a lid on the recent rise associated with Middle Eastern violence, analysts say.

In other energy futures trading:

— Heating oil remained unchanged at $3.07 a gallon.

— Wholesale gasoline fell 2 cents $2.96 a gallon.

— Natural gas fell 4 cents to $3.38 per 1,000 cubic feet.

___

Pablo Gorondi in Budapest and Pamela Sampson in Bangkok contributed to this report.